Apparatus for cold rolling axle journals



July 6, 1937, w. L, scRlBNER 2,086,051

i APPARATUS FOR COLD ROLLING AXLE JOURNALS I Filed June 5, 1936 Patented Juiy 6, 1937 UNITEp sTArEs attentif APPARATUS FOR COLD ROLLING AXL JOURNALS William L. Scribner, Canton, Ohio, assignorto The Timken Roller Bearing Company, Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June.5, 1936, Serial N0. 83,601

7 A Claims.

The service conditions that affect locomotive and railway car axles are such that the journal portions thereof are liable to fail through fatigue; and it has been found that the capacity of the axle for reducing fatigue can be greatly increased by suitably cold rolling the journals thereof. 'Ihe principal object of the present invention is to devise an apparatus for cold rolling such journals and particularly to devise means l0 for insuring the proper pressure of the rollers on the journals and to make the device capable of rolling journals of Various diameters. The invention consists in the parts and in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. l is a side elevation of an axle journal rolling device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of said device;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3*-3 in Fig.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line l-II in F-igl;

Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a View showing two distance pieces of different length; and

Fig. 7 is a view showing two pressure pins of different length.

My device comprises two pairs of rollers l, each pair being rotatably mounted in separate hollow blocks or crossheads 2, which crossheads are disposed vertically and are spaced apart horizontally. The periphery of each roller is curved convexly longitudinally; and each roller is mounted on a horizontal pivot pin 3 that is mounted in bosses 4 provided therefor in the sides of the crosshead. Each crosshead has a horizontal bore extending through the corner portion thereci', the bores of one crosshead being alined with those of the other. Rods 5, which serve both as ties and guides, extend through the alined bores of the respective crossheads and have a sliding iit therewith.

These rods extend through openings provided therefor in end plates 6, l. One of these end plates, 6, has a shank 8, preferably integral therewith, which shank is of `suitable size and shape to t in the tool post of an engine lathe. Between this end plate 5 and the adjacent crosshead, U-shaped saddles or distance pieces 9 straddle the rods 5 and are clamped thereon by bolts I0 which extend through the end portions thereof. The endmost portions `of the tie membersrare screwthreaded and provided with nuts II that bear against the end plates 6 'I and serve to adjust and hold them in position. In the middle portion of the second end plate I 5 is a boss I2 through which is a horizontal bore, and a pressure pin I3 fits slidably in the bore. On the outer face of the adjacent roller crosse head is a boss I against which the pressure pin abuts. -10

At a distance below said pressurevpin, the end plate l is provided withV spaced lugs I5 with alined bores in which is mounted the pivot pin for a lever I6 that extends upwardly past the pressure pin and has a horizontal hole through 7., its upper end. Extendingfreelyk through this hole is a tie rod I'I with a bolt head abutting against the end of the lever. This tie rod extends through and beyond the top endof the shank end plate 6 and its projecting portion is vsurrounded by aV helical spring I8 that bears at one end against said plate and at the other end against a nut I9 that works on the screwthreaded end of said tie rod. Interposed between the shank end plate 6 and the lever end plate 'l opposite the end of the lever is a spacing member 2t with end flanges in alinement with holes in the mounting members. Through these holes extend bolts 2| whose ends are threaded to receive nuts 22. y In practice, the device hereinbefore described is mounted on the lathe with its shank slidable in the tool post thereof. The spring I8 is slackened and the pairs of rollers I spread far enough apart to permit the axle, which is to be A rolled, to be entered between the two sets of rollers and centered on the head and tail stocks of the lathe. The lathe is set in motion to rotate the axle and to feed the rolling device longitudinally.V After the lathe has started, the nut I9 is turned to gradually compress the spring, I8, whose reaction causes the tie rod I 'i to pull on the end of the lever I6, which bears against the pressure pin I5, which in turn bears against the adjacent crosshead l. The crosshead 'I is thus moved to bring its rollers into contact with the journal of the axle. At the same time, the pressure of the spring I8 against the shank end plate 6 causes the device to move bodily until the rollers on the crosshead next to the shank end plate bear against said journal, the bodily movement of the device being permitted by the shank tting slidably in the tool post of the lathe. Thus both pairs of rollers contact with the journal with a pressure that is determined by the adjustment of the nut I9. As stated above, the pressure begins after the lathe has started and is increased gradually to the desired intensity and is held at that intensity until the feed of the lathe carries the rollers fairly near to the end of the surface to be rolled and is then gradually reduced to zero or thereabouts.

It is noted that the pressure of the spring I8 is multiplied by reason of the fact that the end of the lever7 Where the force of the spring is applied, is much further from its pivot than is the pressure pin on which the lever acts. It is also noted that, by reason of the device being slidably Y mounted on the tool post and the crossheads being slidable on their guide rods, the pressure of the rollers is automatically equalized.

lt is a particular advantage of the apparatus hereinbefore described that it is adaptable for use with axles or shafts of widely dierent diameters. Thus, the pressure pin may be readily replaced with a similar pressure pin of greater or less length, thereby permitting the crosshead to shift accordingly. In like manner, the saddles or distance pieces 9 may be readily replaced with similar saddles or spacing members of greater or shorter length to decrease or increase the spacing apart of the pairs of rollers, as may be required.

While the apparatus hereinbefore described is especially suitable for cold rolling railway car and locomotive axles, it is obviously applicable for cold rolling other axles and shafts.

What I claim is:

l. An apparatus adapted to be mounted on the tool post of a lathe for cold rolling axle journals and the like comprising rods, two crossheads slidably mounted on said rods, end plates on said rods, nuts threaded on said rods for positioning said end plates, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on each crosshead, a lever pivoted on one end plate, and means for operatively connecting it to one of said crossheads to apply pressure thereto, said apparatus having a shank adapted to be mounted in the tool post of a lathe and the rollers being equidistant from a common axis.

2. An apparatus adapted to be mounted on the tool post of a lathe for cold rolling axle journals and the like comprising rods, two crossheads slidably mounted on said rods, end plates on said rods, nuts threaded on said rods for positioning said end plates, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on each crosshead, a lever pivoted on one end plate, and means for operatively connecting it to one of said crossheads to apply pressure thereto, said apparatus having a shank adapted to be mounted in the tool post of a lathe and the rollers being equidistant from a common axis.

3. An apparatus for cold rolling axle journals and the like comprising rods, two crossheads slidably mounted on said rods, end plates on said rods, nuts threaded on said rods for positioning said end plates, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on each crosshead, a lever pivoted on one end plate, and means for operatively connecting said lever to one of said crossheads to apply pressure thereto, and the other end plate having a shank adapted to rit slidably in the tool post of a lathe.

4. An apparatus for cold rolling axle journals and the like comprising rods, two crossheads slidably mounted on said rods, end plates on said rods, nuts threaded on said rods for `positioning said end plates, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on each crosshead, a lever pivoted on one end plate, and a pressure pin slidably mounted on said end plate with its ends in contact with said lever and the adjacent crosshead respectively, the other end plate having a shank adapted to t slidably in the tool post of a lathe.

5. An apparatus for cold rolling axle journals and the like comprising rods, two crossheads slidably mounted on said rods, end plates on said rods, nuts threaded on said rods for positioning said end plates, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on each crosshead, a lever pivoted on one end plate, a pressure pin slidably mounted on said end plate with its ends in contact with said lever and the adjacent crosshead respectively, and spacing members removably interposed between the other end plate and the other crosshead, the last named end plate having a shank adapted to t slidably in the tool post of a lathe.

G. An apparatus for cold rolling axle journals the like comprising rods, two crossheads slidably mounted on said rods, a pair of rollers rotatably mount-ed on each crosshead, end plates on said rods of which plates one has a shank adapted to t slidably in the tool post of a lathe and the other has a lever pivoted thereon, nuts threaded on the ends of said rods for positioning said end plates. spacing members removably mounted on said rods between the shank end plate and the adjacent crosshead, a pressure pin slidably mounted in the lever end plate between the lever and the adjacent crosshead, a spacing member between the two end plates opposite the end of said lever, and a tie rod connected to the end of said lever and extending beyond the distant end plate, a nut threaded on the end of said rod, and a helical spring between said nut and said end plate.

7. An apparatus adapted to be mounted on the tool post of a lathe for cold rolling axle journals and the like comprising rods, two crossheads slidably mounted on said rods, end plates on said rods, nuts threaded on said rods for positioning said end plates, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on each crosshead, a lever pivoted on one end plate, means for operatively connecting said lever to one of said crossheads to transmit pressure thereto, and means comprising a spring for applying pressure to said lever, said apparatus having a sha-nk adapted to be mounted in the tool post of a lathe and the rollers being equidistant from a common axis.

` WILLIAM L. SCRIBNER. 

